ONE MAN’S VIEW: Your vote can have positive consequences, IF….

We hear the phrase often: “Your vote has consequences.”

Most of the time it’s negative connotation referring to some terrible legislation passed by unthinking, unfeeling legislators – like most of the Republicans in the Missouri Legislature who consistently introduce, and often pass, anti-worker, anti-women, anti-progress bills.

But now we have an incredible example of the positive side of “Your vote has consequences.”

I urge readers to see Carl Green’s story “Illinois Legislature approves barrage of new Labor laws” to understand the kind of positive change Illinois residents are seeing as a result of defeating Republican Governor Bruce Rauner last year. Where that governor stymied worker-friendly legislation at every turn, and introduced anti-worker legislation (e.g. encouraging local communities to pass phony “right-to-work” laws) the Democratically-controlled legislature and now Democratic Governor Jay Pritzker are passing a incredible number of positive, people-oriented, worker-friendly, laws that will benefit every Illinois citizen.

2020 ELECTIONS CRUCIAL
Brothers and Sisters in Missouri, we need to take note. Next year’s elections will be huge, for America and for Missouri.

In Missouri, the governorship and all 163 House seats and 17 of the 34 Senate seats are up for election. Right now, the Republicans control 114 of the 163 House seats with Democrats only 47 (there are two vacancies) and they have 24 of the 34 Senate seats, Democrats 10.
This is a huge imbalance. It leaves absolutely no room, or reason, for compromise on any issues. The Republicans RULE. And we’ve seen that reality in the past legislative sessions!

BALANCE NEEDED: YOUR VOTE WILL COUNT
And so, in November 2020 we need to vote for enough Democrats to bring BALANCE to state government. I doubt Democrats can win enough to wrest back control, but having a fairly even balance of Democrats and Republicans would be a giant improvement for workers.

If we can put more Democrats into the state legislature, the potential results for union families, all working families, across Missouri? Carl Green’s story says it all.

Your vote does have consequences!